


worlds apart

by banesexual



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, i'm a sucker for nerd!simon and jock!jace so this is really just for me to self-indulge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-09 05:54:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10405389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banesexual/pseuds/banesexual
Summary: highschool AU where Simon is the biggest nerd for space and the guys on the football team like to tease him, except for Jace Lightwood: captain and star quarterback who thinks it’s super cute.written for week 2 of @shadowhuntersaumondays





	

It’s not like Simon _loves_ school, or wants to marry it as those idiotic jocks often tease, hi-fiving as if they’ve made the most genius burn of all time. He does _like_ school though, or at least he likes learning but the people that come with it are the worst. 

Normally, Simon knows his place and that place is with books and Clary and away from anyone with a letterman jacket. But today he’s at the museum, stuck on a fieldtrip with his Science class and what feels like half the football team.

He’s kept to himself, walking around and completing the assigned worksheet alone but one of the questions is about space and maybe his geeking out is less internal than intended because he’s suddenly on the floor, his shoulder aching from the shove. The boys responsible are laughing in a huddle and Simon refuses to react.

He stands up silently and leaves, finding his favourite part of the museum from memory. It’s gloriously empty and he sits near the front of the theatre, his legs tucked under his chin as he watches the ceiling move. It’s calming in a way, all dark with stars stretching on for what feels like forever. The longer he stares, the more it seems like he could just float away…

“I think we’re about to leave.”

The voice is quiet but it shatters the planetarium’s silence and Simon jumps.

“Sorry,” Jace says sheepishly, holding his hands up in surrender, “I saw you walk in here and I didn’t want you to miss the bus.”

Simon laughs dryly, “I think that’s exactly what you and your friends would like.”

Because this is Jace Lightwood, quarterback and captain of the stupid football team and even though he’s never done anything to Simon before he hasn’t exactly stopped his teammates either.

Jace frowns, “What do you mean?”

“Nothing,” Simon says softly, looking smaller somehow like he’s just realised who he is and who he’s talking to, “We’re not leaving for another twenty minutes, I already checked with Mr Garroway.”

Jace nods, looking around the space before taking a step closer. “I’m sorry. For whatever they did. They can be jerks.”

And he’s right but Simon knows he can’t really agree so he offers him a small smile instead. He expects that to be it, for this awkward encounter to be over and for Jace to go back to his popular life where he can pretend he didn’t just comfort school nerd Simon Lewis in a simulated solar system.

Jace doesn’t move though, he keeps standing there with his head thrown back, looking up at the stars, practically mesmerised. There’s purples and blues mixed in with lit up constellations and it’s truly beautiful but Simon’s eyes are – for once - elsewhere.

He’s stuck on Jace and the way he seems softer like this, without any friends shadowing him. All the tension has dropped from his shoulders and his mouth is turned up in the startings of a smile.

It’s sweet and Simon wishes it wasn’t a bubble he knows will burst the second the bus arrives.

“Mind if I sit?” Jace asks after a moment and Simon shrugs.

“Knock yourself out.”

And for some unknown reason, Jace chooses the chair right next to him so that they’re side by side, practically touching. Simon stays absolutely still, acutely aware of the (crazy muscly) arm almost knocking against his (less muscly) own. It feels weirdly intimate for only the second time they’ve properly spoken and Simon tries his best not to freak out. Because Jace is gorgeous and so very close and he’s been harbouring a crush since middle school.

Their breathing is almost in sync and Simon scrambles for a distraction, trying to lose himself in the sky like always.

It helps, when school gets too much or he’s fighting with his sister or he needs an escape. But it turns out the sky does shit all when Jace Lightwood is looking at him like he’s just seen magic.

“I can see why you like this stuff,” Jace admits, gesturing to the ceiling, “I’ve never really thought about it before but space is kinda cool!”

Simon grins, his heart beating fast, “I know, it’s actually insane! Everything goes on for what seems like eternity and the stars are so goddamn pretty and don’t get me started on the moon. It glows! Like _how?!_ And that’s just the beginning! We can only see a fraction of what’s actually out there because the galaxy is like stupidly huge so we may never know everything that exists which is crazy, right?”

He comes up for breath, because _you need to breathe when you talk, Simon_ except it’s not Clary looking back at him this time and he ducks his head in realisation, “Sorry, sometimes I get a bit, uh, carried away.”

And he’s waiting to be teased, expecting it because any other footballer would use this as ammunition but Jace just smiles.

“Tell me more.”

It’s not much, just a gentle nudge but Simon can’t remember the last time he got anything close from someone other than Clary.

He fiddles with his glasses nervously, “Um, what do you want to know?”

A lot, it turns out, because Jace asks question after question and Simon is in his element, eyes animated and hands moving in all directions as he explains. Jace seems fascinated, even complimenting Simon on the extent of his knowledge which is…unexpected. Simon just assumed Jace was an asshole, because all the other guys certainly are but he’s actually _nice_ and chatty, surprising Simon with each new thing he asks. It starts to feel normal, like this is A Thing they do and Simon tries to commit everything to memory before it all ends. 

"Thanks for keeping me company," Simon says eventually, bumping their shoulders together in a jolt of bravery, "And for putting up with my longwinded space rants." 

Jace grins, knocking his shoulder back before turning serious, "Hey, why were you in here by yourself anyway? Wheres your friend - the redhead?" 

Simon looks up, confused, “How do you know I hang out with Clary?” And then he sighs, “Oh, duh, you think she’s cute. I thought I saw you watching us at lunch one time but I figured you just wanted my nachos because like, who doesn’t love cheese?”

Jace laughs, shaking his head. “I wasn’t looking at your food.” And then his eyes drop to the floor and he runs his hand through his hair. “And, uh, she’s not the one I think is cute.”

He looks up slowly, almost shy as he meets Simon’s stare, waiting for him to catch on. They’ve talked enough about time and space to know neither can actually stop but it feels like both do as the words hang between them.

“What?” Simon says dumbly, because none of this makes sense? He is, and always will be, disappointingly average but Jace is suddenly looking at him like he’s the whole galaxy and it's unbalancing.

“I like you,” Jace clarifies, smiling now that he’s finally got the words out and Simon eyes him warily.

“If this is some prank you all set up, I swear to God – “

“Hey,” Jace says softly, frowning at the fact that Simon’s first thought went there, “I would never do that.”

And he's reaching out on instinct, loosely holding Simon's wrist and brushing his thumb along the line of it in gentle reassurance. 

"I like you," Jace repeats, punctuating each word with the trace of his fingertips, setting their skin alight.

Simon blushes, “I like you too.”

And they hold hands and look up at the stars and Simon can’t resist pointing out the different constellations he knows, talking about which ones he’s seen with his own telescope and it’s everything Jace has imagined three seats behind him in class.

After a while they hear footsteps and Mr Garroway ducks his head in, smiling a little when he sees Simon isn’t alone.

“Time to go, boys.”

They drop their hands quickly but Simon knows Luke saw and he’s sure he’ll hear about it next time he’s at Clary’s. 

They're alone again but neither of them move. The theatre feels too small now that whatever this was is over and Simon's eyes are everywhere but on Jace. He can't watch him walk out, choosing those people over everything they could have. It's unfair, Simon knows, to expect anything else but their time together made him hope. 

He's looking up now, following the automated shooting star across the ceiling until his eyes land on Jace. There's a small smile on his face again and his next words come out in a rush. 

“Do you want to sit next to me on the bus?” Jace offers, hoping like hell Simon will say yes and his stomach flips when he gets an enthusiastic nod in return.

After that, all the jokes and names sort of just stop? Simon gets more looks though, in the hallway, at lunch, on the football field but he has a hunch that’s less about his nerdy ways and more about him dating the school quarterback.

**Author's Note:**

> I got given a few prompts to continue this into a multi-chaptered fic so let me know if that interests you and I'll try and write some more of our boys becoming the new power couple of the school xo


End file.
